


The Happiness Salesman

by Gothicmonocle



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Strangers to friends to family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2019-11-13 23:48:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18041414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothicmonocle/pseuds/Gothicmonocle
Summary: Starting off as the same story, only in the Happy Mask Salesman’s point of view, everything changes when he decides to tag along with Link in his adventure. Things begin to change more and more and the divide between canon and fiction become increasingly apparent.Follow me on Tumblr for updates on Fic progress: https://the-happiness-salesman-fanfic.tumblr.com





	1. In which a Mask Salesman indirectly causes Doomsday.

He regained consciousness on the ground, his mouth dry and vision blurry. As he slowly regained his senses, the pain from the blow that had rendered him unconscious started to come back stronger than ever. Placing his hand on the aching spot on his forehead and whilst gritting his teeth, the man attempted to get back on his feet but the dizziness made him fall back down almost immediately. He crawled his way to his backpack, hoping that the imp who had robbed him hadn’t damaged his prized collection. He sighed in relief seeing that the masks themselves were pristine, however, the realization begun to creep up on him as he looked through them one by one; a particular mask- one that was very powerful and dangerous if in the wrong hands- was missing. 

The mask that he had gone through so much effort to collect and one that could potentially bring the end of the world. In the hands of one mischievous child. 

“Oh no no no no!” He stammered, frantically fumbling through his bag in hopes of finding it. But he didn’t. He held his pounding head, visibly hyperventilating. “Out of all the things he could have stolen.” He whimpered. “It must have called to him, the cursed thing. There is no other way a child would attack someone out of the blue.”   

After some time of wallowing in self-pity, he came to terms with the fact that he would never find the mask unless he got himself together. With that thought in mind, he sat up, trying to overcome his vertigo and eventually found the strength to get back on his feet. What followed was a long period of aimlessly stumbling about in the forest, surrounded by vast trees that rose far above the mist, giving off a sense of dread despite looking ravishing. With the fog being too thick and his vision still being fuzzy, he spent a good chunk of time blindly bumping against trees and tripping over fallen logs and protruding roots on the ground. 

He was about to abandon hope when he came across the sight of hoof-prints in the dirt. His mud-stained face lit up as a twinge of hope sparked within him. He began to follow the tracks as closely as possible, momentarily forgetting his pain and exhaustion. He could recognize those small, yet steady hoof-prints anywhere. 

They belonged to Epona, the hero of time’s loyal horse. Help was so close; he could almost taste it! The spring returned to his step as he begun to walk faster and faster in hopes of catching up. 

That’s when he noticed. 

The hoof prints vanished into a hollow in a tree. He began to slow down, lightly panting as his expression changed from hopeful to dumbfounded. He inched closer and closer to the large, gaping hollow, reaching out his hand as if it was second nature. He felt a strange feeling in his chest. It was alien, yet ever so familiar. He let his hand touch the bark of the tree, letting out a deep sigh as he walked into the dark indent in the tree, only to realize that all existed but an empty void within. It was empty through and through and what appeared to be gigantic rabbit hole extended on the ground before him. Part of him wanted to turn back, but something else urged him to keep going. 

Having nowhere else to go, and completely placing his trust on this strange new sentiment, he took a step forward, 

And let himself fall into the abyss below. 

The descent felt more like a gentle float downwards rather than a fall. The deeper he reached, the less hints remained from the pale moonlight above, until he was enveloped within a suffocating blank space. There, in the blinding darkness, his sight was suddenly filled with colors and shapes of every kind as he entered a dream-like haze. It was beautiful and strange, terrifying yet comforting. He found himself closing his eyes in the moment. He remained in this strange place outside the boundaries of time and space for what felt like an eternity. All fear and uncertainty disappearing from his heart as he made his way deeper and deeper into the abyss. 

He landed softly upon the ground, his wear and hurt somewhat relieved. He rubbed the tiredness off his eyes and looked around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He was enclosed in a gargantuan tunnel of dirt and stone- Strange that a hollow in a tree would lead to such a place. Even stranger that there appeared to be structure present. He passed underneath a heavy, wooden gate, over some oddly well-preserved bridges and even parts of a stone wall were visible through the dirt and vegetation. 

He marveled at the sight, the way nature intertwined with artificial construction was mesmerizing, so much so that he almost didn’t notice the small tree he would have ran into if it wasn’t for a sudden feeling of overwhelming dread that the plant itself emitted. For a moment he thought his lost mask was nearby. He turned his head at the plant’s direction, much to his horror realizing that it had a face. 

A face with an expression of unspeakable pain and sadness etched to it. He felt his heart sink; he could sense that powerful omen brewing. That horrid mask surely had something to do with this. 

“Those big, childlike eyes- could it be...?” He knelt in front of the petrified creature, holding his breath. He extended his hand towards it to see who was unfortunate enough to be on the receiving edge of the lethal curse. 

He sighed in relief; fortunately, the hero of time had not, in fact, been irreversibly petrified. Still, this was a deceased child. He felt the need to do something about it. He cupped his hands together, bringing them close to his chest. In the blink of an eye, a gargantuan, shining black instrument appeared before him. He sat on the stool of the piano and took a deep breath before he let his fingers elegantly dance on the keys, coaxing a melody that he hoped would heal the soul of the little Deku scrub. 

But, no matter how hard the salesman tried, the child’s soul would not rest. He stopped playing abruptly, slamming his hands loudly upon the keys; the malevolence of the curse was getting to him too and it was more than he could handle. The piano vanished abruptly, making him fall on his hands and knees. He took a moment to catch his breath and cleanse himself of Majora’s influence.  

The spirit of the child had been taken elsewhere. He had to retrieve it. To put its spirit to rest. He was compelled to- if he hadn’t lost the Mask none of this would have happened. 

 That mask. How much destruction it must have left at its wake! He bit his lip. No, there was no time to cry over something that couldn’t be helped. He gave one final glance at the Deku tree, promising to heal its soul someday and went on his way. 

Next on his path was a peculiar sight. A long hallway that seemed to extend for miles and miles. 

“How peculiar.” Quavered the man, unsure if he wanted to enter this ghastly site or to dismiss it as one of Majora’s traps. He knew the more he stalled, the more damage the mask was causing but still, what good would he be if he was lost in some never-ending hallway. He shook his head as to dismiss the thoughts buzzing in his mind like angry hornets and as always, proceeded cautiously. 

Half way through, the room started spinning. It was subtle at first but it kept getting more and more intense; so much so that he found himself clinging to the walls of the tunnel for support. Was his vertigo coming back or were there more malevolent forces at play? He feared for the worst as he ventured deeper and deeper into the tunnel.  

His hopes returned with a glimpse of light at the far end. He begun to speed up as the light got closer and closer. 

He made it safely to the other side, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. His balance regained as soon as he stepped outside. Observing his surroundings, he realized he was in some sort of mechanical building, a clock tower, judging by the sounds it made. He held his head; feeling an intense sense of Déjà vu. It felt like his mind was trying to remember something, but at the same time there was nothing to remember. His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. He hurried up the stairs and caught up to the hero of time as he was about to exit the room 

 Link had become a being of leaf and wood, the only thing signifying it was still him was the clothes and the lingering dread of Majora’s evil magic surrounding him. On top of everything, the salesman couldn’t sense the presence of the Ocarina of time nearby. Knowing this could only mean trouble, he approached the young boy.  


	2. In which a legendary Hero learns to deal with his new appearance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link's POV

“You’re going through quite an ordeal, aren’t you?” 

Link turned his head towards the speaker abruptly, noticing a tall and thin man dressed in purple. His skin a warm beige and hair a dark ginger. Link recognized him as the guy from the Happy Mask Shop. 

He had pleasant facial features and a kind demeanor, smiling nervously, showing a row of slightly pointy teeth. A set of dark eyes looking at Link with that familiar glint of a person in need of help. The young hero attempted to smile back, but his wooden mouth would not budge, so he just let his glowing yellow eyes squint in an attempt to showcase that he was glad to see him. After all, it was good to see a familiar face in this sticky situation. 

Tatl, however didn’t seem as happy about it, as she swiftly hid behind Link, nudging him silently as if she wished to leave right now. 

There was a moment of awkward silence. As Link hid Tatl under his hat and cautiously walked over to the man. 

“You’re right. I’ve seen better days.” Replied the boy in a sheepish tone. Not sure if the Mask shop owner saw through the transformation. “Are you lost, too?” 

“I am afraid so, dear boy.” The man answered, slightly bending his knees to reach down to Link’s height. “But losing my bearings was the least of my concerns. This may sound a tad embarrassing, but I believe I am partly at fault for your current condition.” He admitted, his cheeks slightly flushing red. 

Link tilted his head. 

“Meaning...?”. 

“Surely you must have seen it. An imp wearing a heart-shaped mask...?” He suggested. 

“Ah! So, it was yours.” Exclaimed the child. “Let me guess. I need to get it back because; magic stuff?” He asked, knowing the drill. 

“That would be really kind of you.” He sighed, bowing in gratitude. 

“What’s in it for me, then?” Link smirked mischievously making the man freeze in place. 

“I...” He stammered. “I have nothing to give.” He choked out patting his pockets nervously to see if he had anything to give in return. “I- I’m sorry I-” He tried to explain but was cut off. 

“Hey, hey! Don’t worry, I was only joking.” Link assured him as he noticed he was getting more and more anxious. 

“I’m sorry.” The man repeated as if he didn’t hear him. “I just- I was robbed. And if I had anything to give you I would but I don’t have anything on me right now. But I’ll pay you back, I swear!” He begun to ramble on the verge of tears. 

“I said, it’s fine.” He insisted. “This is my job. You’re not obliged to give something back.” He told him in an encouraging tone. He walked towards the wooden gate. “I will be back before you know it. Mask and all.” He assured him. 

“Wait!” The man called him back. “I can help you! A song! I can teach you a song that can turn you back to normal.” 

Link stayed still for a moment, his hand on the door. He turned his head to face the mask shop owner. 

“Really?” He asked. 

The man nodded 

“If you can get the precious instrument that was stolen from you, I can turn you back to the way you were.” 

“Sounds good to me.” Link beamed, about to walk out the door. He noticed that the man was following. “You’re coming along?” Inquired the boy tilting his head. 

“I... Ummm.” He fidgeted. “I thought my experience on masks would be of assistance” He trailed off bringing his gaze upon the floor. 

“Sure. Why not.” Shrugged the kid. “It’s just weird. People who ask me to do stuff for them rarely ever help.” 

A prolonged silence followed. 

“So, to whatever lies beyond the gate.” Ushered the mask shop owner. 

“Right.” Followed the boy as he hesitantly pushed the clock tower door open, letting the early morning light shine through. They were greeted by the sight of a bustling town. Strange, Link could have sworn they were underground all this time. He turned his gaze to the mask shop owner, who seemed lost in thoughts. “So, I was thinking.” Link begun as if to break the silence. “We never introduced ourselves. I’m Link!” He smiled, extending his little wooden hand towards the man. 

“I know.” Smiled the man nervously, shaking the young hero’s hand firmly. 

“So, you recognize me! That’s good. And your name...?” Asked the child. 

The man’s ears drooped as he lowered his head. 

“I don’t seem to have one. Not that I can remember.” He murmured still as a statue. 

“Oh, I am sorry.” Muttered the boy, but he quickly bounced back. “Can I just call you Happy, then? Y’know. Short for ‘Happy Mask Shop Owner... guy’.” He trailed off. 

“That would be nice.” Happy made an attempt to smile. 

“Great!” Exclaimed the boy running forth. “Where to now?” He asked, removing his hat and shaking Tatl out of it. The fairy clumsily fluttered about, clearly disturbed by being thrown into the air so suddenly. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! You trying to kill me? What were you thinking?” She scolded him, trying to find her bearings. “I was sleeping ya know. I could’ve fallen to my death from that height.” She smacked the boy in the head. 

Link flinched but did not complain. 

“I just wanted to ask you if you knew this place.” He apologized. "Does the Skull Kid come here often?” 

Tatl looked around. 

"Well, yes. This is Clock Town, we used to hang out here a lot.” She responded. “We should go see the Great Fairy; she sees everything so she can definitely tell us where Skull Kid went.” She explained, flying forward until she was greeted with the happy mask salesman’s slender figure. “Cripes! It’s you!” She exclaimed. 

“Goodness!” Exclaimed Happy as well. “You are that orb of yellow light that hanged around with Skull Kid.” He frowned, his dark eyes piercing through the fairy’s soul. A hint of red was reflecting off his pupils like that of a cat. 

“Hey, listen. About what happened in the forest” Started the fairy. “I’m sorry.” She mumbled, her apology coming off stiff and ingenuine. 

“Right now, I don’t need your apologies.” Happy glared at her. “If you’re really sorry then you’ll never do such a treacherous thing again.” He sniffed and turned on his heel. 

Tatl hesitantly lead the way. 

The walk to the shrine of the Great Fairy was long and quiet, but the tension was still there and Link could feel it all. He did not want to bring anything up in fear of rekindling their hatred for each other, so he followed along silently. They reached north Clock Town and Tatl flew towards a small grotto against the wall. 

“Over here!” She called out to them. 

They silently followed. 

Upon entering, they noticed that no great fairy was in sight. All but a group of smaller, winged creatures remained in her place. 

“It can’t be! The Great Fairy.” Cried Tatl rushing towards them. 

“O! Kind young one, hear my plea.” The Great Fairy’s sweet, yet imposing voice echoed through the walls of the cave. “My body has been shattered by the Skull Kid’s newfound magic. Please, find the part of me that has been sent astray and lead her back to me so my broken body can return to normal.” She pleaded. 

Link accepted the task and the group decided to split to more effectively track the stray fairy. 

“We will meet back here at eleven o’clock.” Link informed them. 

It took a while, but the fairy was spotted by the laundry pool. It was Tatl who found her while following a curious purple-haired boy. 

“At first glance, I thought it was Tael who had been transformed by the Skull Kid’s funky new magic.” She explained, taking a bite off the food Link had bought, having gathered enough rupees while he was looking around for the stray fairy. “But then I saw him entering the back room of the Curiosity Shop and I was not certain. Maybe he’s a friend of the dude who runs it?” 

“That’s not important right now.” Happy interjected. “What about the fairy? Where is she?” 

“Oh, her? She hid under a box.” Tatl shrugged. “And as you may have noticed, I am barely larger than a pebble, so you can imagine how powerless I was over the situation.” 

“That’s okay.” Link assured her with a mouthful of rice. “We’ll get her after lunch. It’s not like our lives depend on it.” 

Happy almost choked on his cucco skewer. 

“About that.” He muttered. “I believe we may be in trouble.” He pointed out. 

Both children gave him a confused look. 

“I asked around town and” He took a deep breath. “there are these rumors that suggest the moon is about to fall” 

“The moon? You mean that freaky thing with the face?” Sputtered Link. 

“What the- And you’re only saying it now?” Exclaimed the fairy. 

“I didn’t want to cause an ordeal!” He shot back. 

“Well look at you now not causing an ordeal! I’m pretty ordeal...ified...” She retorted. 

“Guys!” Link intervened. “You’re solving nothing like that. Let’s just think things through.” He suggested. 

“Yes, young lady. You’re solving nothing by yelling all the time.” Happy scolded her 

“He’s provoking me. You see this too, right?” She fumed. “It seems you’re asking to be fairy-whacked, mister!” She turned to the salesman. 

He crossed his arms “I’m really not. You are merely thirsty for violence, aren’t you?” 

“Alright, this conversation is over!” Link snapped. “The moon is falling, there is an evil mask on the loose, we have to fix the Great Fairy and we can do none of that if you two are acting like that!” 

“Fine” Snorted Happy 

“Fine” Tatl blurted out. 

Everyone hurried to finish their meal. They went quiet again. Link hated the silence. He hated seeing them so angry, and most of all he hated them eventually shouting at each other. He wanted them to sort it out somehow. 

“Where did you say the stray fairy hid?” Happy inquired as Tatl fluttered about near the laundry pool. 

“It was a box, I tell you. A big ol’ wooden crate.” She insisted. 

“I don’t see anything.” Link remarked. 

“I swear, if you are wasting our time I-” Happy was about to say, but he was interrupted by a quaint sound in the bushes. 

“There! Check there!” Shrieked the fairy. 

The party searched the bushes, but they found nothing but a frog. 

“The fairy must have flown elsewhere.” Suggested Link, holding the frog in his hands because he thought it looked cool. 

“Put that down, you don’t know where it’s been.” Happy chided, much to Link’s annoyance. 

He’s been only hearing complaints and remarks by the time he decided to let others join him. He dearly missed Navi. She may have been chatty and nagging at times but she was kind and did not yell at him. She would let him keep weird pets and give them funny names. And she would certainly not smack him across the head whenever he did something wrong. 

His new team was miserable and kept long, begrudging silences. 

But Link did not complain. He knew better than to add fuel to the fire. So, he put the frog down as he was told. 

“Where under heaven could that stray fairy have gone?” Happy pondered, placing his hand on his chin. 

“Beats me. She could be anywhere.” Replied Tatl. 

Link turned his gaze towards a bench. It wasn’t noticeable at first, but beneath said bench, behind some bushes was a wooden box. The stray fairy must have dragged her cover elsewhere as to not be spotted. 

Meanwhile, the mask salesman was growing suspicious of Tatl. 

“When did you decide to stop doing the Skull Kid’s bidding anyway? 

“I got left behind so I decided to side with Link instead.” She claimed. “What are you on about?” 

“And how much is this partnership going to last? Until you catch up with your little friends and take their side again?” 

“Of course not! That mask is making Skull Kid a jerk. I want it off of him.” 

“How do we know you speak the truth? You have been more of a drawback than help lately. Giving false leads, picking fights...” 

“You’re saying I am deliberately stalling you? Why would I do that? What would having the frigging moon land on my head benefit me?” 

“All I’m saying is, Majora’s Mask can have a massive influence over people so they will do its work. You may be affected by it.” 

“Oh yeah?! And what makes you think you are immune to its influence, huh? You are the one who was carrying it around in the first place” 

“I keep it so it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands!” 

“Guys!” Link intervened. 

“Not now, young one. We’re in the middle of something.” Happy dismissed him 

“But it’s about the stray fairy.” 

Both man and fairy gave Link a weird look, having completely forgotten about their main objective. 

“I found her.” Link said with the stray fairy by his side. She wasn’t trying to run away from him but instead flew around him, looking content. “She said she was frightened by the impure aura you guys were giving off. Maybe you were both affected by Maj-what's-its-name.” He explained to them. 

They both looked at each other sheepishly. 

Happy was the first to admit it and apologize, and Tatl was soon to reluctantly follow. The influence was still there, and it would always be unless the mask’s evil was sealed away, but as long as they knew the source of their aggression, they could keep it at check. Or so they hoped. 

It was at six o’clock of their first night in clock town that they managed to bring the Stray Fairy back to her original owner. 

With a shrieking laughter, the Great Fairy reassembled herself in a grand flash of light. 

“Thank you!” She exclaimed. “Your kindness shall not go unrewarded" 

“It was no problem, really.” Smiled Link before getting smacked at the back of his head by Tatl. 

“But we would gladly accept your reward. Please hand it over” She corrected the hero, spreading out her greedy little hands. 

Happy gave Tatl a displeased look. Sadly, her rude nature was part of her personality and not, in fact, Majora’s doing. 

“Oh of course!” Smiled the fairy. “My gift to you is the gift of magic. I enabled powers that had long been sealed within you the moment you passed through the threshold.” The great fairy nodded. 

“Wait, the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Tatl blurted out. 

“Language!” Happy scolded her. 

“You shall find out in time, impolite young one.” Smiled the fairy. “For the time being. I have a lead for you. You will find the Skull Kid through the astral observatory.” She nodded before bidding them farewell. 

Leaving the shrine, our heroes remained confused over the events that had transpired, except from Link who didn't think much of it. 

“Look! I can make bubbles with my mouth.” Said the boy to cheer his friends up. 

“Ew gross! What is that, snot? Get that thing away from me?” Gagged the fairy 

“I think it’s more like tree sap.” He replied, the bubble getting larger. 

“Be careful with that thing, you don’t want to make a mess.” Suggested Happy. 

But Link did not know how to stop the bubble from getting bigger. So, with a sharp movement of his head, he let it shoot with great speed and splatter against a wall. 

“Wow! Great job, hero.” Sighed the fairy. “But, hey! At least now everyone will remember you as the guy who punched a hole in that wall over there with a fucking slime bullet. Brilliant!” She pointed at the small, slimy crater his projectile had caused. 

“Please, mind your language, Tatl.” Happy pleaded with the young delinquent for a second time. He then turned his gaze to Link, who had cringed back in guilt. “But she has a point. It was irresponsible of you to fling that bubble out to Hylia-knows-where. Look at the sheer force of that thing. You could have seriously injured someone.” He remarked with his hands on his hips. 

“I didn’t know it could be so powerful. It was just a bubble made out of Deku spit as far as I was concerned.” The young hero argued. 

“Now that you mention it.” The salesman trailed off as he placed his hand on his chin, slightly pacing back and forth for a while. “Tatl. I need you to collect a sample of the green matter while it is still fresh.” He ordered the fairy who winced in distaste. 

“What the- And here I was, thinking you were the level-headed one. You guys are seriously nasty.” 

“You need to trust me, young one. There is something I need to make sure.” He said in a tone calm, yet one that wouldn’t tolerate objection. 

“Aw hell.” She sighed. “I mean what’s the worst thing that can happen?” She picked up a stick with her tiny hands and did as he ordered. 

He took the tiny sample in his hands. It was faint because of its size, but strong magic power seemed to emit from the green liquid. “It is just as I suspected.” He declared. “These bubbles are pure magic power compact. This is ingenious! This is astonishing! Riveting!” He chuckled, filled with excitement. 

Tatl gave him a confused look. 

“Do you not get it? This is the power the Great Fairy was talking about!” He chirped, his face beaming. 

“Her gift was the power of spitting bubbles.” 

“Magic bubbles” He corrected her. 

“Right.” 

Link was already ready to test his new ability once again. He aimed for the balloon a boy was practicing his blowgun on. 

And let the bubble pop the floating contraption with a deafening noise. 

The boy jumped in surprise and looked around, noticing Link triumphing over his latest deed. 

“Did you just pop that balloon?” Asked the child with the red bandana. 

Link attempted to mouth an excuse, thinking he was in trouble. But nothing came out. 

“Not bad for a Deku Scrub!” The boy smiled a lopsided grin, much to Link’s surprise. “Say, we bombers have a secret hideout that lead to the observatory.” 

“That's convenient. I need a way to get to the observatory.” Link blurted out. 

“Not so fast.” Interjected the boy. “In order to get to our secret hideout. You need to know the secret code.” 

Five-year-olds. Of course. Link grumbled internally as he begrudgingly inquired of how he could get the code. Knowing full well they would not co-operate unless he played by their rules. 

“Luckily for you, I’m Jim. The leader of the bombers. You must have heard of me.” Boasted the boy. 

“Not really. I am new in town and I’ve been a little busy lately.” Link replied. “But it’s good to meet you anyway.” He shrugged. “So. About the code...” Link suggested. 

“Oh yeah, that.” Jim blurted. 

He then proceeded to call all his friends on site. A small discussion on how he couldn’t officially join the bombers because he was a Deku followed, to which Link rolled his eyes but decided to ultimately say nothing on, since all he needed was to get to the freaking observatory already. 

The test was a simple game of Hide and Seek. He had to catch all of the bombers before daybreak. A simple enough task. If not bothersome. It was more bothersome that he had to tell his friends that this was something he absolutely had to do alone. Since no adults were allowed in the hideout. 

“I’m not an adult.” Tatl smirked, hiding beneath his hat. “And I really need to catch some Zs so don’t you yank your hat off like last time or I’ll break your nose.” She threatened, yawning. 

Link was tired as well. But with the new threat over everyone’s head there was no time for sleep whatsoever. He gazed up at the moon; it was definitely getting closer. The boy shuddered. How much time did they have left? There was no way to tell. 

Happy noticed the boy’s turmoil and lightly patted him on the shoulder. 

“Hey, you can do this.” He gave an encouraging smile. “I believe in you.” 

The warmth in his voice threw Link off guard. He had been encouraged many times, by many people. But this was the first time it felt this genuine. Like he didn’t say he believed in him just to usher him forward to get the task done. 

He encouraged him because he saw he was stressed and wanted to do something to help. 

That was enough to put a smile in the boy’s face. 

“You’re right. I’ll be done with it in no time.” He grinned. “And then we can have all the time in the world to do anything we want to.” Smiled the boy as he ran off. 

Nearly two hours and five caught bombers later, Link was able to acquire the code. He made his way through the watery underground passage and into the observatory with relative ease. There he met the old astronomer but no Skull Kid was in sight. 

“He was an ill-mannered youngster indeed. He threatened to break my equipment and steal my Moon’s Tear.” The old man explained. “Then took off to Nayru-knows where. You can use my telescope to try and find him, if you want to. But I would suggest you stayed away from that little troublemaker.” 

“Your advice was noted, sir. But there is something I really need to retrieve from him.” Said the boy peering through the telescope. 

“Well, it’s your business, really. But you could let the adults handle the whole stolen item ordeal.” 

“Unfortunately, it’s urgent.” The boy’s voice trailed off as he noticed the Skull Kid perched up on the top of the Clocktower. The imp stared at him menacingly through that unsettling mask. As if he knew Link was watching him. And with a rude gesture he disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared. 

Link thought this probably meant the skull kid was challenging him to meet on the clock tower’s top. But he had no idea how to get there. 

He looked up at the moon to see how much time he had left. The moon had gotten pretty close, but thankfully it seemed to be going slow and steady. Just then, light reflected through its ghoulish eyes, and a small chunk of rock fell loudly upon the floor, causing the earth to shake a little. 

After he explained what he saw to the astronomer. He was told that the door to the top of the Clock Tower opens at the eve of the Carnival of Time, which would take place the day after tomorrow. 

Link held on to that information. And headed out to the front yard of the observatory. There lay a rock similar to that which the astronomer had described as a moon’s tear. Link proceeded to put it with the rest of his little trinkets, feeling an aura of importance surrounding the stone. 

He took both the jewel and the information he had gathered back to Happy. And eventually Tatl, but only after she woke up. 

“So, there is nothing we can do until after the Clock Tower doors open.” Muttered the salesman. 

“Yeah, seems like it.” Sighed Link rubbing his tired eyes. 

“If that’s the case, then why don’t you get some rest? You earned it.” He smiled. “There is an inn nearby where we could stay.” 

“Cool.” Muttered Link, smiling tiredly. “I could use a comfy bed after all this time sleeping on dirt.” He yawned.


End file.
